There have been many shifts within the local real estate scene in the last year. Two realty offices have closed and three have been purchased — two by longtime brokers in the businesses and one by a franchise. One broker is going mostly virtual. In addition, a slew of brokers have migrated to other realty offices.

All the changes are perhaps reflective of a strengthening market.

According to the assessor’s website, “arms length” sales of real estate last year totaled more than $77 million. This number does not include properties sold to family members for $1 and other transfers of that type. In terms of assessed values, more than $205 million in properties changed hands last year. This number includes all transfers.

In 2011, there were 105 arms-length sales of condos sold totaling just over $40 million, for an average of sales price of $386,000. There were 43 arms-length sales of noncondos totaling $37 million, for an average sales price of $863,000.

The two brokers who closed their doors in the last year are Ruth Gilbert, who retired, and Thomas D. Brown, who closed its Provincetown office, but maintains its Truro office.

The two dominant players in the local market are Coldwell Banker Pat Shultz Real Estate and Atlantic Bay Sotheby’s. Together they represent about half the real estate sales in town, and both have undergone a change in ownership, having been purchased from within as part of the businesses’ long-term plans.

Pat Shultz, located at 406 Commercial St., is now owned by Joe DiMartino, Mike Minore and Joan Lenane. DiMartino and Minore joined the firm about eight years ago, with a long-term plan to purchase the business from owners Susan Davis and Bill Dougal. Lenane, the former chief operating officer of the Banner, joined the firm about a year ago. Davis has retired, and Dougal is staying with the company as an agent.

“Even though there’s a change in ownership, nothing has really changed,” said Di-Martino. “It’s business as usual.” DiMartino said that in the last two years, properties selling for more than $1 million are going strong. “That market has come back to life. I wouldn’t say it’s stronger than ever, but it pretty much dropped dead in 2008 and 2009. Inventory is definitely dropping in most segments, and the strongest segment of the market right now is between $400,000 and $650,000.” He said there’s a high inventory of one-bedroom and studio condos. Since the economy tanked in 2005, onebedroom condos have seen a 10 percent drop in price, 15 percent for two bedroom and larger and 20 percent for single- family homes, he said.

Atlantic Bay, located at 168 Commercial St., was purchased from longtime owner Gregg Russo by three veteran Atlantic Bay agents in December — Emily Flax, Lincoln Sharpless and David Nicolau. There currently are five full-time brokers in total.

“It was a change from within,” said Flax. “We’ve been planning [the change] for a long time.”

Last year was good for them, said Flax, and sales have taken off since the beginning of this year. “There’s activity in every segment for us. The market is hot. The most significant change is people coming back to the entry level, in the $200,000 to 300,000 range.” She considers that reflective of a renewed confidence. They have had five or six multiple offers on properties, which she said is indicative of a changing market.

In terms of value, Flax said prices have not declined as much here as in other places. “Typically our market is insulated because it’s mostly a second ome market. We get cushioned a bit. Didn’t go down as much, and money is cheaper now than it’s ever going to be.”

Bob O’Malley, owner of Beachfront Realty at 139 Commercial St., has seen a lot of changes in his 27 years, and refers to the shift in personnel in town as the “Realtor spring,” in reference to the Arab spring. “Every time you turn around someone’s leaving, offices are closing, and offices are coming in. It’s been pretty wild, but it’s more like musical chairs, a lot of the same players — they just moved their desks.”

For many years O’Malley had two brokers working with him, though he went it alone for the several years until now. In the last year, he has added four new brokers.

“The market is very strong. I had one of my best years in 2011, and this year is shaping up to be almost as good,” he said.

The high-end market — condos over $500,000 and most single-family homes — is strongest, he said. What surprises him is that low-end condominiums are languishing, and the price is now down to about $150,000 from $300,000. “There’s a glut, because they’ve been building up and not selling. Anything really nice in the $600,000 to $700,000 range will move right away.”

William Raveis, a well-known realty company in Connecticut, purchased Harborside Realty from Len Bowen and Rob Tosner. Located at 154 Commercial St., Bowen said he remained small in his 20 years owning the company, but the strategy of the new owners is to bring in brokers. Much of the migration of brokers was to this company. They now have nine.

“Business is very healthy,” said Bowen, “a combination of softer prices and cheap money.”

Robert Paul Properties, owned by Robert Kinlin and Paul Grover, is in the midst of a major transition, said Wissy Wendt, general manager.

“We are working on a new, interesting model,” she said, describing how they are going to more of a virtual company, where people can go online and take virtual tours of the properties they list. There is one broker handling sales “on the ground.”

“We’re putting resources into a more interesting experience for clients,” she said, adding that 88 percent of people come to them through the Internet.

“Business is terrific. Sales are up 46 percent over last year,” she said.

Robert Paul focuses on the high end, she said, which is the reason they’re going virtual. “We’re putting more resources into marketing.”

Kinlin Grover Real Estate, founded and formerly owned by Robert Kinlin and Paul Grover, has 16 offices on the Cape and is completing its move to 374 Commercial St. People in Rhode Island currently own it.

“We’ve recruited [brokers] over the past couple of months, part of our transition,” said manager Dan Sheehy. There are now eight agents in their Provincetown and Truro offices.

“It’s been a very good year,” he said, crediting the good weather and low interest rates. “All our agents are busy. There’s a lot of positive energy.” One brand new realty company in town is Dwell Coastal, at 372 Commercial St. Meg Stewart, Maureen Wilson and Joel Harms own it. Their business is primarily property sales, but the office has a gallery of artwork by emerging artists and nautical antiques for the home, and they offer design services for renovations.

“We’re three brokers who pooled our resources into one new business, stuff we know about,” said Stewart.

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